When Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington split this summer after two years of dating, it made things pretty awkward backstage at Strictly Come Dancing. And now, Ukrainian dancer Nadiya has reportedly been leaning on another Strictly star for support.
After Nadiya, 35, said that she and Kai, 29, were ‘not friends’ after ending their relationship in July, reports claimed last week that she’s been spending more time with her celebrity dance partner, swimmer Tom Dean, 24.
And with Tom having recently ended his own relationship with girlfriend Charlotte Phillips, insiders tell Closer that the Olympian’s closeness with mum-of-one Nadiya is raising alarm bells for Kai.
A source reveals, ‘There’s a lot of backstage tension between Nadiya and Kai. She’s trying to keep it professional.’
Nadiya met British dancer Kai when he joined the Strictly cast in 2021. In his first year, Kai reached the final with AJ Odudu. And while the public speculated that romance was brewing between Kai and presenter AJ, it was actually Nadiya he secretly began dating once the series was over.
The pair made their relationship official a couple of months later, with Kai gushing that Nadiya was The One and ‘the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen’. He quickly became integrated into Nadiya’s life and close with her seven-year-old daughter, Mila, who the dancer shares with her ex-fiancé, Slovenian footballer Matija Škarabot.
But after the couple entwined their personal and professional lives for more than two years, reports broke in July claiming that Kai and Nadiya had split ahead of the 2024 season. It wasn’t a happy break-up either, as Nadiya said, ‘We work together but we are not friends and that’s OK.’
Kai didn’t have a partner on this series of Strictly, but Nadiya was paired up with swimmer Tom. And while they were the first couple to be kicked off the show, they are said to have stayed in contact and bonded when Tom’s own long-term relationship came to an end just two weeks into the series.
Strictly reportedly didn’t play a part in the end of his relationship, but Tom has connected with Nadiya since leaving the show. The pair were seen out for dinner with Tom’s sister, and insiders tell Closer the athlete would love to give things a go with his pro partner.
‘Tom is very mature and attentive,’ the source continues. ‘He cares deeply for Nadiya and has taken on the role as her protector. Nadiya just wants a good, honest man, and seeing them out together has certainly made Kai panic.
‘But Nadiya is torn. Emotionally, she’s vulnerable and just wants to be with a man who will love and cherish her and her daughter, who will always come first. Tom is young and Nadiya can’t afford another broken heart.’